Tuck vs. Darden ($)

Hi, thanks for your comment. Would you elaborate a bit more? To me, the only major difference is that Tuck is more prestigious...

Charlottesville also has a lower cost of living than Hanover, and Darden's sticker price is $20K lower than Tuck's to begin with; actual savings choosing Darden will be closer to $80K (enough to seriously consider). You're essentially choosing between one of the most expensive Top 10 MBAs and the most affordable one.

I went to school at UVA and I love Charlottesville. It's one of the best college towns in the country. Never been to Hanover, but it's obviously much colder, weather-wise.

In the most recent rankings, Tuck comes it at #9 and Darden at #10. Tuck has a longer history in the MBA world so it has a bit of an edge in prestige... but not by much. They place equally well at Fortune 500 companies, and since they both have alumni in your area, both would be equally good in terms of job prospects.

Note another difference: Darden is completely case-based whereas Tuck is a combination of case and lectures. If you have a strong preference of one over the other that could sway your decision. Both are known to have great teachers, so that's another similarity.


I didn't vote because the decision is very close, both are great options, and it comes down to taste.

Go where you feel most comfortable with the people in your program. If it were me choosing between those programs, I'd be more inclined to choose Tuck. Darden has the reputation of being very academic, and that's not something I wanted at the forefront of my b-school experience. I met plenty of both during the past year, and I personally got along better with the Tuck students. I'd highly suggest that you figure out where you fit in best, and consider that the physical environment is a huge part of the consideration. Don't get caught up in all the reputation bs; they're both terrific programs that can place you in no less than 99% of Fortune 500 companies...

Thanks drivechipputt !!!

Some international students told me that these two programs have somewhat equal workload...I do think Tuck is more prestige, but also think that factor alone cannot beat a nice living environment.